Meet Collette Kakuk of OC Pole Fitness – a huge supporter of pole dance in the Olympics and co-chair of the Pole Fitness Association!

You are very involved in the push to get pole dancing in the Olympics. What got you interested in that and what benefits do you hope being in the Olympics will bring to pole dancing?

I am often asked if pole dance/pole dance fitness is an ART or a SPORT. The answer is BOTH! A sport is defined as an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, and art is defined as the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

Anyone following our industry, which has exploding numbers of international competitions and showcases, and who has dared to attempt to maneuver on a pole KNOWS the significant athleticism, strength and control required by pole athletes to make their maneuvers appear graceful, seamless and aesthetic. The very nature of this solid vertical apparatus begs for artful body contortions and poses, and adding in music provides a most unique expressive art form. Pole work, without hesitation, is an auspicious display and intertwining of both art and sport.

With that said, we designed our Facebook Petition To Get Pole Dancing in 2012 Olympics to build on work started by our friends in the UK to achieve even greater grassroots support for getting pole dancing/pole fitness recognized as a legitimate athletic sport by the mainstream. The yellow brick road to the Olympics is a very long and winding road for a new sport. Realistically, the soonest pole sports could get into the Olympic summer games is the 2020 Olympics.

The shortest a sport has ever taken to achieve recognition has been six years, and that was more an exception to the rule than the standard. However, mainstream acceptance, working concurrently with developing competitive formats, establishing industry standards (a key charter for the Pole Fitness Association) and establishing a separate international entity to be committed to this drive (we have also established the International Pole Sports Federation) are the key building blocks. We currently have the leading global drive with over 146,000 members!

Once we achieve 250,000 supporters, we will have MAJOR international media attention for our art and sport! So, please post, re-post, and re-post the link again on your website, on your facebook, on twitter and more. The power of social media is IMMENSE and we need to leverage it to reach the mainstream and continue to change perceptions of what our art and sport form is and isn¹t.

Some people fear that getting in the Olympics will require changes that could negatively impact the dance aspects and sexiness of pole dancing. How do you respond to that?

There are so many forms of this amazing art and sport, an entire continuum from more barefoot, explosive, strict gymnastics style looking forms, to sexy, stiletto-wearing, saucy shimmying, and slinky acrobatic forms. Most of us practice both styles, depending on the whens, wheres and whats we are practicing. Both ends of the continuum require control and athleticism, and both require style – they are just delivered differently. And, there are a multitude of forms in-between. Any sport that goes into the Olympics will need to be acceptable by mainstream standards; that’s a fact. But, as we have seen, this art and sport form is beautiful in nearly any manner that it is packaged, from straight and clean to curvy and saucy.

You are co-chair of the Pole Fitness Association. Tell us about it!

The Pole Fitness Association was born to unite and standardize our industry. We have professional management with a clear mission and charter.

Our mission is to represent and lead the pole fitness community worldwide by defining and promoting standards for training, safety, equipment, terminology, and technical specifications to unite and empower pole fitness studio owners, professionals, and enthusiasts everywhere in celebrating the sport of pole fitness as a rigorous, tasteful, and athletic art.

Underlying the mission are four supporting vision statements that define how the Pole Fitness Association will deliver value to the industry:

1. Be the recognized authority and trusted advisor on pole fitness to studios, professionals, enthusiasts, media, and others globally.
2. Be a catalyst for the development of all industry-related standards, including terminology, training, certification requirements, progression of training, etc.
3. Signify to the pole fitness community everywhere that a studio with our certified affiliation means you are qualified to deliver sound value to your customers in all areas of pole fitness, including safety, training, ethics, facilities/equipment specifications, business management.
4. Galvanize pole fitness studios, professionals, and enthusiasts worldwide to market, network, educate, train safely, and learn from one another to nurture the profession and promote our athletic art.

Membership is inexpensive, the organization is INTERNATIONAL, we are professionally managed, our membership consists of leading pole professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, and we are working on important elements to standardize our industry (terminology, standards defining movements, and more).

Favorite makeup tip:

Eyebrows neatly groomed and filled in, white highlight on the inner eyes and just under the brown, and shiny lip gloss.

Barefoot, sneakers, or platform heels?

Depends on my mood … barefoot, when I want to feel organic and sensual, and heels when I want to be va-va-va-voom and sexy.

Favorite grip enhancer:

Dry Hands.

Pole dance move that made you proudest to learn:

Twisted Grip Handspring before I turned 40.

Pole dance pet peeves:

Not pointing toes, not working with the music, and anything that is not supportive of others.

Favorite treatment for bruises and sore muscles:

Little hands (daughters 6 and 9) rubbing mommy’s back.

Who would you most like to have in the audience when you pole dance?

My students, instructors, mom and daughters…and, of course, boyfriend.

Who is your hero or role model?

So many .. .my oldest student (age 74), my heaviest student, my student who has lived as a stroke survivor since age 19, and always my newest student – I ran my first marathon with a man who was running his 100th race, and he said it was harder to be there for the first time than for the 100th, .and that has always stuck with me. This is an intimidating sport to first start and that’s why it is increasingly important that we continue to build a supportive, friendly community.

What are your favorite words of encouragement?

Pole dancing is for EVERYONE. Regardless of age, shape or size. There are hundreds of movements and the key is picking the right moves for you to keep you challenged, engaged, and injury free.

Favorite pizza toppings:

The Worx!

Cupcakes or ice cream?

Creamy, nutty, chocolatey ice cream … Ben and Jerry’s New York Superfudge Chunk, to be exact!

What do you do when you’re not on the pole?

Play business owner and mom to full tilt! And always laughing!

Anything else you’d like to share:

This sport is a marathon, not a race. Yes, train hard, but take care of your body, be safe, and enjoy this as a lifetime sport.

If you want to take classes with Collette, you can find her at OC Pole Fitness. You can also help her get pole dance in the Olympics. Be sure to check out the Pole Fitness Association, too!